Travel

Lowest Air Fare? Try August 28

July 30, 2018 By Twila Van Leer

If you are looking for the lowest possible air fare during the always-busy summer vacation season, the experts have already done the home work for you: Aug. 28 will be the day when it will be cheapest to fly within the U.S.

Where you live and where you are going are factors that may affect the fare. But just for instance, fares between Los Angeles and Rapid City, S. Dak. are expected to be $400, during the Aug. 28-Sept. 4 period, compared with anticipated fares of $530 in the Aug. 14-21week. So if Mount Rushmore is on your bucket list of places to see, remember that.

The peak summer travel season began June 23 and will end Aug. 28, with some good fares still on the agenda past that date.

Good deals on fares to Europe, including popular places such as London, Paris and Rome, have been plentiful this year. But if you can wait until around Sept. 10 to visit one of these hot spots, the fares will be even more conducive, the air travel experts advise.

Fares from New York to London, for instance, are being predicted at $638 for the week of Aug. 14-21; $506 for the following week and only $396 for the Sept. 11-18 week.

Always when anticipating air travel, compare prices. You may have a favored discount carrier, but it may not always be the cheapest. You won’t know unless you do the homework.

Historically, some days of the week have offered lower fares than others. U.S. flights are generally lower on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. For trans-Atlantic flights, weekdays tend to have better deals than weekends. Plan accordingly.

If you want to get the most for your money, you may have to sacrifice a little. A connecting flight rather than non-stop, for instance. If you are taking a carry-on instead of a large suitcase, you’ll save.

If you can plan your travel around the fringes of predictable peak seasons, you’ll probably find fare deals that make it worthwhile.

Save Money On Travel

July 16, 2018 By Twila Van Leer

Whether you are a regular traveler or just an occasional vacationer, there are ways to cut your costs, Follow these tips to save money so you can travel more:

Plan trips for the off-season. Many destinations have their heaviest demand for the summer months. National parks, Europe and Canada fall into this category. Aim for spring, fall or winter to book a vacation. Ski resorts and Caribbean cruises work well with this approach.

Look at a package. Smart travelers book airfare with a hotel or car rental added on. Airlines offer deep discounts on unbooked seats by rolling the fare into a package. Shop online for deals.

Vacation closer to home. Vacation sites you can drive to save big bucks compared with airfare. Have you heard friends talk about the wonderful things you can see and do in your own state? A tour guide book for your own city might surprise you, so latch onto your camera and get to know your own area better.

Be willing to dicker. Independent and regional chain hotels that lack the advertising power of the larger chains may tack on an extra day’s stay or be willing to give a discount to those who ask. Doesn’t hurt to make the request.

A few nights of camping out can give you more money to spend on sightseeing and other activities. Many camps offer setups for under $20 per night. Opting for less than the Ritz makes it possible to make more forays to the mountains or beaches.

Hostels are cheaper than hotels or motels. A dorm-style room may be available for $15 to $35 per night. Some offer amenities such as internet access, game and TV rooms, hot tubs and organized activities. Another option is a private home. Many families leave their homes empty as they spend vacations elsewhere and they offer their accommodations for much less than a regular hotel. Trading homes is a money-saving option. The advantage of being able to cook meals instead of eating out is another way to cut vacation expenses.

National, state and local parks, beaches and forests have miles of hiking and biking trails, beautiful landscapes and good fishing and usually are less crowded than the high-priced resorts.

Cruise ships often make good deals on cabins when people who have booked fail to show up. Check on last-minute bargains.

Take advantage of frequent flyer programs. There is no cost to join and you can start collecting miles on your first flight after joining. Over time, you’ll accumulate points for free flights, hotel stays, merchandise and other perks.

How To Get The Best Airfares

March 21, 2018 By Twila Van Leer

If you fly a lot, you should be routinely getting the best possible fares. So here are seven tips that will help you accomplish that:

• Research. Comparison sites such as Kayak or Google Flights can provide current prices. Use the calendar view to see how prices line up at different times of the year. When you know what the regular prices are, you’ll recognize a deal when you see it.
• Stay updated. Some sites update frequently to advertise flash sales and error fares. Airfare watchdog, Thrifty Traveler and Secret Flying post deals throughout the day and supplement with Twitter and Facebook posts. Many deals are time-sensitive and you have to be flexible to take advantage of them. If a deal seems right for you, don’t wait. Book it immediately.
• Look for shoulder season or off-season flights. The high-demand months are March, April, July, August and December. That’s when fares are highest. They correlate with school breaks and holidays. “Shoulder” months are May, June, October and November. Not only are flights less expensive then, but weather is usually milder and there are fewer crowds to deal with. Off-season months are January, February and September, and you’ll find the lowest fares then.
• Fly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Airfares are priced on supply and demand, so these days offer the best fare deals because of low demand. Demand is highest on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
• Book early, but not too early. The best time to find the best rates is 45 to 90 days before you plan to fly. Too early or too late can lock you into a rate that might drop before your planned departure.
• Use the 24-hour cancellation policy. If you see a cheap fare in which you are interested, snap it up. That gives you 24 hours within which to make further considerations. Use the time to check to see if you can find a better deal. You haven’t anything to lose if you decide to cancel if the airline you chose has a 24-hour cancellation policy. Obviously, you need to be aware of that before you make the jump.
• Get back the difference. If you have booked a flight and subsequently see the same flight on a different airline at a lower price, check and see if the original line has a price-matching policy. Some airlines charge a $40 service fee, but you don’t have to use the policy often to recoup that cost.
Booking the best airfares is a complex mix of research, flexibility, decisiveness, timing and luck. Vigilance is the operative word. But the effort can pay off and you can save enough money for even more flights. It’s worth it.

Finding Good Travel Deals

April 27, 2016 By Twila Van Leer

With a little bit of research you can find good travel deals. — With a little research you can find good travel deals.

Summer travel time is blossoming and smart air travelers are looking for deals.

And the factors that enter into travel decisions are becoming more convoluted and confusing. That means you need to take care that your search for a cheap flight really ends up that way.

Things such as whether or not an airline charges a baggage fee, options for extra leg room, etc., make it important to look ahead and study all the possible configurations you might choose.

Airline travel is changing in ways that mean some of the old strategies for saving money don’t apply any more. For instance, it used to be that choosing to travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday would save some bucks but that is not necessarily true anymore. More airlines that offer loyalty benefits are looking at how much you spend, not how many miles you travel. That makes it harder for leisure travelers to rack up enough points to make a significant difference.

Travel experts offer these tips to help you make choices:

Discover Restrictions

Read the fine print on the airline website so you are certain what comes with your seat. A less expensive ticket that doesn’t include checked luggage may not be the best deal. Some airlines, including Delta, have a lower basic economy fare, but it places a bunch of restrictions on the package. It’s impossible to change the terms and you don’t get a seat assignment in advance. Do the homework.

Travel Dates

Be flexible regarding travel dates and destinations. Traveling at the end of the season (September, for instance) is cheaper than traveling at the height of the summer. That doesn’t work well for families that have children in school, but it’s worth considering.

Budget Airlines

The budget airlines sometimes have very attractive fares. Iceland’s WOW air and Norwegian Air Shuttle, for example, have added routes across the Atlantic this year and their prices may offer a savings. You may sacrifice a little in comfort and convenience, but the bottom line will look better. If you prefer all the niceties, stick with the familiar airlines.

Seat Assignments

Families should begin right away to confirm free seat assignments. The discount airlines don’t allow you to pick a seat without paying extra and that can quickly add to costs for family travel. The fees for having guaranteed seats range from $2 up to $100 for a round-tripper on Spirit. Frontier charges from $12 up on Frontier. If you have to reschedule due to unforeseen changes in your travel plans, a nonrefundable U.S. ticket on American, Delta or United may cost $200. Southwest doesn’t charge a fee. If you use an airline’s branded credit card, some will waive fees, but not all do. You need to know in advance.

Currently, the federal Transportation Department is considering imposing rules that would require airlines to provide information about fees to third parties, such as online travel agencies. That would greatly simplify making comparisons. But until that happens – not until later this year or beyond – your best bet is to take the time to shop carefully.

Save Big Bucks On Airline Tickets

April 2, 2016 By Twila Van Leer

Prices for airline tickets are all over the place. If you want to fly right and for less, become savvy about making your purchases. It is possible to save a lot – up to $300 or more per ticket – if you buy when the prices are at their lowest.

Best Time To Buy

So, how do you know when that magical moment has arrived? CheapAir did some of the footwork for you. The company monitored air travel fees for some 5 million flights in 2014, comparing the cost of bookings from 320 days in advance of the desired flight time to just one day. The research pinpointed 47 days pre-flight, on average, as the time at which fares were likely to be at their nadir.

“Window” Opportunity

From 114 days to 27 days, however, were identified as a “window” of opportunity during which it is worthwhile to shop for the best airfares. If you wait until only 14 days before you plan to fly, the price may jump by an average of $174. By that point, the airlines know you are likely to pay what they ask. Booking too early, on the other hand, can raise the price by an average of $50 per ticket, the CheapAir review found.

Book Early

Of course, there are many factors that affect prices, including dates and destinations. The research organization suggests early booking for holiday and standard vacation times in the area in which you are interested. If your travel group includes more than four people and you want to be seated together, early booking will be better. Start checking fares once a week as soon as your plans seem firm, to get a sense of the market. If you see a good price, go for it. It is more likely to rise than to fall further.

Information is available from airfarewatchdog.com, cheapair.com or kayak.com, which regularly monitor airfares.

International Travel

Fares for international travel do not fluctuate as much as those for domestic flights. If you are leaving the country, book early. Sales open 335 days before departure, CheapAir says. About 90 days before the departure date, fares start rising rapidly. If Europe is your destination, book at least 276 days in advance to get the best price. The best opportunities for cheaper tickets to the Caribbean is 144 days in advance; to Asia, 318 days; Africa, 262 days; Mexico, 251 days; South Pacific, 244 days; Middle East, 213 days; Central and South America, 96 days.

Be Flexible

Allowing yourself a little flexibility can also save money. Booking flights with connections or those that leave either early in the morning or late at night are cheaper. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the days when fares tend to be lower.

Price Drop Rebates

Many airlines and travel agencies will give you a rebate if your flight’s price drop below what you paid. Often the rebate will come in the form of credits or vouchers. Sign up with Yapta.com to receive alerts about falling prices. But be aware that some airlines will charge a big fee for re-booking a flight to a lower price. If the fee outweighs the difference in the fare price, obviously, you don’t want to consider it. CheapAir offers a $100-per-passenger credit if the price of your ticket drops. That avoids a fee for rebooking.

Finding the best fare may take some time and effort, but the savings will make it worthwhile.